Tourism in Pakistan

Tourism is a growing industry in Pakistan, based on its diverse cultures, peoples and landscapes. The variety of attractions range from the ruins of ancient civilizations such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila, to the Himalayan hill stations, which attract those interested in field and winter sports.

Pakistan is endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. High Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges with their alpine meadows and permanent snow line, coniferous forests down the sub-mountain scrub, the vast Indus plain merging into the great desert, the coast line and wetlands, all offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated wildlife including avifauna, both endemic and migratory. Ten of 18 mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan with species ranging from the world's smallest surviving mammals, the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever known; the blue whale.

Pakistan is home to several mountain peaks over 7000m, which attracts adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially K2. The northern parts of Pakistan have many old fortresses, towers and other architecture as well as the Hunza and Chitral valleys, the latter being home to the small pre-Islamic Animist Kalasha community who claim descent from the army of Alexander the Great. In the Punjab is the site of Alexander's battle on the Jhelum River and the historic city Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital with many examples of Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort. 

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation  (PTDC)

Pakistan has got a separate tourism department for the spread of tourism in Pakistan namely PTDC that is Pakistan tourism development corporation., PTDC provides suitable literature and information to foreign tourists as well as the locals. The basic motive of this corporation is to spread tourism in Pakistan. Pakistan tourism Development Corporation has got it’s offices in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Abbotabad.

A large number of tourists visit Pakistan all year round. Pakistan’s historical places and natural beauty attract the foreigners who know the art of making the best out of life.

Trip through Pakistan

A trip through Pakistan is a face-to-face encounter with a fascinating land that has withstood countless invasions and preserved the essence of its conquerors in the form of present day monuments and archaeological heritage. 

Pakistan’s geophysical monuments – great mountains, rivers & deserts – are as staggering in natural concept as its legacy of art and architecture is in human terms.Covering an area of more than 300,000 square miles – bounded in the south by the Arabian Sea, by Iran and Afghanistan in the west, the Soviet Union to the north, China to the northeast and India in the east – from blazing deserts to Polar ice, from rich forests to fertile plains, from great rivers and lakes to coastal lagoons, Pakistan is a land of scintillating contrasts and diverse cultures.

On one hand the excavated sites of Moenjodaro and Taxila – seats of the ancient Indus Valley and Gandhara Civilizations; the architectural monuments of the Mughals; the Khyber Pass – the historic inlet to South Asia – or the ancient unchanging traditions of the Kafir Kalash of the Chitral Valley presents a living image of the time passed and on the other hand for those with an intrinsic love of mountains, Pakistan offers the unique pleasure of its northern mountain ranges, the Himalayas, the Hindukush and the Karakorams – a mountain wonderland unrivalled in the entire world with such formidable peaks as the K-2, the Nanga Parbat, the Rakaposhi and Tirchmir.  

Flora and Fauna

The wide variety of landscapes and climates in Pakistan allows for a wide variety of wild animals and birds. The forests range from coniferous alpine and subalpine trees such as spruce, pine, and deodar cedar in the northern mountains to deciduous trees such as the mulberry-type Shisham in the Sulaiman range in the south. The western hills have juniper and tamarisk as well as coarse grasses and scrub plants. Along the coast are mangrove forests which form much of the coastal wetlands. 

In the south, there are crocodiles in the murky waters at the mouth of the Indus River whilst on the banks of the river, there are boars, deer, porcupines, and small rodents. In the sandy scrublands of central Pakistan are found jackals, hyenas, wild cats, panthers, and leopards while the clear blue skies abound with hawks, falcons, and eagles. In the southwestern deserts are rare Asiatic cheetahs. In the northern mountains are a variety of endangered animals including Marco Polo sheep, Urial sheep, Markhor and Ibex goats, black and brown Himalayan bears, and the rare Snow Leopard. During August 2006, Pakistan donated an orphaned snow leopard cub called Leo to USA. Another rare species is the blind Indus River Dolphin of which there are believed to be about 1,000 remaining, protected in two major sanctuaries. In recent years the number of wild animals being killed for fur and leather trading led to a new law banning the hunting of wild animals and birds and the establishment of several wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves. 

Tourism in Northern Pakistan's Karakoram & Hindukush Mountains

The Karakoram and Hindukush, at the western end of the great mountain chain of South Asia and Central Asia, contain the greatest concentration of high peaks and the greatest expanse of glaciers of any mountain range outside the subpolar zones of our planet. These mountains are also home to a kaleidoscope of people, whose diversity and uniqueness offer a personal counterpoint to the immensity of the physical terrain and climate extremes. 

People with in Pakistan as well as the foreigners go to trips during spring or end of the summer to Muree, Ayubia, Swat, Kaghan, Naran and Ziarat. Muree, Ayubia, Swat and Naran are the places, which I have seen by myself and believe me that if you pay one visit to these places than you will definitely make the second visit also. Lake Saif-ul-Malook, which is the Heighest Lake on earth, is on 30-minute drive from Naran, this lake is just like heaven on earth. The depth of this heighest lake is still unknown. This beautiful lake is surrounded by the mountains which are all around it, and which add a lot to it`s beauty.

Hunza valley is rightly called the prettiest valley on earth,this valley is over-looking sky high peaks like K-2 and Rakaposhi. 

Wetland of Pakistan

The Convention on Wetlands came into force for Pakistan on 23 November 1976. Pakistan presently has 19 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites).  They are: 

1. Astola (Haft Talar) Island, Balochistan
2. Chashma Barrage, Punjab
3. Deh Akro, Sindh
4. Drigh Lake, Sindh
5. Haleji Lake, Sindh
6. Hub Dam, Sindh, Balochistan
7. Indus Delta, Sindh
8. Indus Dolphin Reserve, Sindh
9. Jiwani Coastal Wetland, Balochistan
10. Jubho Lagoon, Sindh
11. Keenjhar Lake, Sindh
12. Miani Hor, Balochistan
13. Nurri Lagoon, Sindh.
14. Ormara Turtle Beaches, Balochistan
15. Rann of Kutch, Sindh
16. Tanda Dam, NWFP
17. Taunsa Barrage, Punjab
18. Thanedar Wala, NWFP
19. Uchhali Complex (including Khabbaki, Uchhali and Jahlar Lakes), Punjab 

Most of these Pakistani wetlands have been declared 'Ramsar sites' through the work of IUCN in Pakistan, with 8 of them accepted in this category only in 2001. The wetlands of Pakistan include flood plain wetlands of major river systems and their extensive network of tributaries; saline and temporary wetlands of arid and semi arid expanses inland; coastal system such as lagoons, backwaters and estuaries; mangrove swamps; marine wetlands; and coral associated with Astola Island in Balochistan. 

According to World Travel & Tourism Council: 

• Travel & Tourism in Pakistan in 2007 is expected to generate USD 11744.0 million of economic activity (Total Demand).
• Pakistan's Travel & Tourism Economy (direct and indirect impact) in 2007 is expected to account for 6.0% of GDP and 2669000 jobs (4.8% of total employment).
• Pakistan's Travel & Tourism is expected to grow 6.6% in 2007 and by 5.2% per annum, in real terms, between 2008 and 2017.